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Friday, 4 November 2016

Book Review - Blood Lines by Angela Marsons

Title: Blood LinesSeries: Detective Kim Stone Book 5

Author: Angela Marsons

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Bookouture

Publication Date: 4th November

Rating: 5 Stars

How do you catch a killer who leaves no trace?A victim killed with a single, precise stab to the heart appears at first glance to be a robbery gone wrong. A caring, upstanding social worker lost to a senseless act of violence. But for Detective Kim Stone, something doesn’t add up. When a local drug addict is found murdered with an identical wound, Kim knows instinctively that she is dealing with the same killer. But with nothing to link the two victims except the cold, calculated nature of their death, this could be her most difficult case yet.Desperate to catch the twisted individual, Kim’s focus on the case is threatened when she receives a chilling letter from Dr Alex Thorne, the sociopath who Kim put behind bars. And this time, Alex is determined to hit where it hurts most, bringing Kim face-to-face with the woman responsible for the death of Kim’s little brother – her own mother.As the body count increases, Kim and her team unravel a web of dark secrets, bringing them closer to the killer. But one of their own could be in mortal danger. Only this time, Kim might not be strong enough to save them…

Within just a couple of pages my blood was pumping, and I knew I was hooked on this new Kim Stone installment. There are so many perspectives being shown to us, that in theory it should be easy to get confused, but all the voices were so distinctive, you soon got used to them. Of course it does take a while for some of them to become apparent just where they fit into the plot. I honestly think that even if you haven't read all the books in the series so far, that it would be a very good idea to read Evil Games (Book 2) first, as there is a very key recurring character from it, that sets the tone for this book, and knowing the full backstory is probably preferable. Kim Stone's character and past gets looked at in even more detail than before, and if you are a fan of the series, like I am, its a very welcome development. As the series progresses we learn more and more about just what makes Kim tick, and there are times I really do feel sorry for our hard hearted heroine. Of the. what in theory is the main storyline of this book, although I'm not convinced it was the one I was most interested in, although there was a fascination as to just who did it, I was amazed at just how cold hearted and evil the killer must be, and I was struggling to work out motivation, or who it was. Blood Lines will keep you hooked from start to finish, as you try to work out just what is going on, and how all the elements are linked. I always enjoy seeing a team of police try to solve crimes, and the more of I see of this team, the more I love them. They all have their strengths and weaknesses and together I really am starting to enjoy anything I see of all of them!Blood Lines is a very welcome fifth installment into this series, and I'd argue is the best one yet. There is a level of complexity in it, and the way Angela Marsons has got under the skin of a couple of the characters is highly impressive and adds even more depth to an already brilliant series. Thank you so much to Netgalley and Bookouture for this copy of the book. This was my honest opinion.